Meridian Cuttings Issue 22 Autumn 2019 Newsletter

Issue 22

The newsletter of South and North & East London Branches

Autumn 2019

Three Weeks This Summer Chris Bushill reports In three weeks of Waterway Recovery Group work camps this July, a new lift bridge on the Wey and Arun Canal was all but completed. Wey and Arun Canal trust acquired a 900 metre stretch of canal South of Bramley last year with the aim of demonstrating to locals the benefits of a restored canal. The short term plan is to create a section of canal for canoeing, fishing etc and to create a circular footpath connecting with the Downs Link. This path to cross over 2 new lift bridges which will also provide farm access and enable causeways over the canal to be removed.

Planning permission was granted in April and local volunteers aided by weekend WRG and others created an access road and fenced off adjacent The site before the first work camp arrived farmland.

In this issue: Birtley Bridge Chairman's Reports Future Events London Socials Planning applications London W alks Heritage Officer Committee Members and contact Details Cover photo (Roger Squires) Pearly Kings and Queens at Angel Festival

The bridge, built entirely by volunteers, is to be a traditional counter-weight lift bridge, operated by a manually wound mechanical system.

The first two weeks’ teams assembled 5 tonnes of reinforcing steel, constructed all the shuttering for concrete pouring and completed the concrete base and bridge columns. They also commenced building the blockwork wing walls. The work was made more arduous by having to transport all supplies, including ready mixed concrete, by dumper truck along 1.2 km of access track.

The volunteers also had a journey of over 10 miles from their accomodation at Kirdford Village Hall where the locals had forgone many local activities to enable WRGies to sleep on the floor of the hall for 3 weeks.

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The site when your editor arrived at the beginning of the third week

The third week was tasked with mixing concrete on site, all the materials brought in by dumper, in the hottest weather seen in this country. On the Tuesday, the hottest day!, 3.5 cu metres of concrete were mixed, barrowed and poured in a little over 2½ hours to complete the second wall of the bridge narrow. This was followed by mixing another ½ to fill the wing walls. We were rewarded for this effort with fish and chips on a boat trip along the restored canal at Loxwood. By the end of the week all construction was complete to water level, blockwork complete to the finished approach ramp and brick work commenced above water level. It is hoped the bridge construction will be completed by Christmas by a combination of locals and visiting volunteers including London WRG. The second bridge is planned for next year - volunteers welcome - after which the two bridge decks will be installed.

The land side of all walls were blacked to prevent moisture ingress

The approach ramp was then backfilled 3

Steelwork being installed Scaffolding being erected for concrete pour

One of three young French students on the camp

The third week team with work complete to water level and brickwork started 4

Date

Route

Start (Tube Station)

31 Aug Saturday

Regent’s Canal: Little Venice to Camden

Warwick Avenue

1 Sep Sunday

Regent’s Canal: Little Venice to Camden

Warwick Avenue

15 September Limehouse – Thames – Docklands Sunday

Westferry DLR (by Cycle Hire Point)

5 October Saturday 10:45

Regent’s Canal: King’s Cross - Granary Square - Camden

King’s Cross (taxi rank)

6 October Sunday

Grand Surrey Canal: Royal Navy Victualling Yard, Greenland Dock

Surrey Quays

20 October Sunday

Secrets of the Northern Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Stratford, by “Newham London” sign

3 November Sunday

Regent’s Canal: Mile End – Limehouse

Mile End

17 Nov Sunday

Grand Union Canal: Little Venice & Paddington Green

Paddington Bakerloo Praed Street exit

1 December Sunday

Regent’s Canal: Little Venice to Camden

Warwick Avenue

15 December Sunday

Regent’s Canal: King’s Cross - Granary Square – St Pancras

King’s Cross (taxi rank)

1 Jan Wednesday 2pm

Regent’s Canal: King’s Cross - Granary Square - Camden

King’s Cross (taxi rank)

● To go on a Towpath Walk, simply turn up. No advance booking is needed. Unless otherwise indicated the Walks start at 2.30 pm. ● Regular charge is £10; concessionary rate is £8. ● For further details, look on the IWA website www.waterways.org.uk, or contact Roger Wilkinson at 020 3612 9624.

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London Region Heritage Officer - Autumn Update: During the summer months preparation proceeded for the “Festival of Water” staged at Waltham Abbey over the late August Bank Holiday. This year the Festival had a Heritage Theme which included “Then & Now” visual displays of our local waterways.

As a partial distraction from waterway heritage issues, I have investigated the whereabouts of coal-tax posts, which are boundary marker posts found in southern England. They were erected in the 1860s and form an irregular loop between 12 and 18 miles from central London to mark the points where taxes on coal were due to the Corporation of London. There were originally around 280 posts of which over 200 remain.

Most of the posts are classed as Grade II listed buildings. There are five different types of coal duty boundary markers in all: Type 1: Granite obelisks, about 4 feet (1.2 metres) high, erected beside canals and navigable rivers (5 remaining). See Photo.

Type 2: Cast-iron posts about 4 feet (1.2 metres high).

These form the majority of posts and are found beside roads and also beside tracks and footpaths, sometimes in open countryside (179 remaining) Type 3: Cast-iron boxes or plates, about 9 inches (230 mm) square, built into parapets of road bridges (5 remaining).

Type 4: Stone or cast-iron obelisks, about 15 feet (4.5 metres) high, found beside railways. Originally Cast-iron Coal Duty Post erected on previous boundaries and reused on the 1861 boundary (13 remaining).

Type 5: Cast-iron obelisks, about 6 feet (1.75 metres high), erected beside railways after 1865 (6 remaining).

In addition to attending the occasional committee meeting and online conference meeting, I have been trawling through the ‘Historic England’ web-site of listed buildings to search for any Graded or Scheduled structures either on or immediately adjacent to our Regional Waterways. So far over 400 listings have been identified, which are mainly listed as Grade II, along with photo-images gleaned from the ‘Geograph’ web-site. Most of these listings hark back to the 1980s and many of the images are a few years old. These sites now need to ranked in order of importance and locally inspected/ photographed to determine their current condition, usage and whether they potentially fall into the ‘at risk’ category. We also need to determine the process involved to get unlisted but found as at risk structures listed, as and when deemed necessary.

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As another arm chair project, I have been trying to monitor the upkeep of our lock keeper’s cottages adjacent to the 150 or so locks within our region. This has been simply achieved by looking at the ‘StreetView’ image of each identified cottage. In numerous cases the imagery is dated as recent as May 2019 and therefore provides a reasonably up-to-date idea of their state of care. I’m pleased to report a high proportion of them look visually well cared for. During August this year, I have been ably assisted with this project by a member of the St Pancras Cruising Club (SPCC) by taking photographs of the many Cottages whilst cruising their way along the Grand Union. Many thanks.

Whilst inspecting the listed buildings along tidal stretch of the River Thames, it became apparent that this part of our waterways is potentially rich with heritage assets. I was generously offered the opportunity to cruise aboard the tideway flotilla along the tidal stretch of the Thames. The flotilla, comprising of over twenty narrowboats, started from Limehouse Basin and proceeded beyond the Thames Flood Barrier and Barking Creek, where it paused for the ebb-tide and then returned on the flood-tide to Hanwell via Brentford. Whist onboard I was busily capturing photos of our remaining heritage as the scenery unfolded.

So members, please keep your eyes well peeled whenever you are out and about our waterways and bring to our attention ANYTHING that attracts your attention, whether it be photos of a fine view, canal furniture, dilapidated structures, etc. As an example, the Autumn Issue of our ‘Waterways’ magazine has a feature on IWA’s Waterway Recovery Group renovating the dilapidated state of some of our accommodation bridges.

I thank those of you who have already been in touch since the summer issue, which has included a couple of sites potentially ‘at risk’. As IWA members, you all are our eyes-on-the-move, so let us know about what you find. We would love to hear from you. Many thanks.

Derek Humphries London Region Heritage Officer derek.humphries@waterways.org.uk

Granite Canal Obelisk on west side of Lee Navigation, Wormley, Hertfordshire.

Photo Paul Strudwick

Welcome to members who have joined us recently. The new GDPR now stops us from naming you individually. However we would like to extend you a warm welcome to the branches and their activities. We hope to see you at some of our social meetings and to meet you at IWA events later in the year, where new volunteers are also always welcome. Whatever your interest in the waterways we hope that you will find something here for you and new friends to meet. If I, or any of the branch officers, can assist with any questions you may have please do not fail to get in contact with us.

Our details can be found at the back of this newsletter.

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Chris Bushill reports on the latest redevelopment in Kings Cross.

The New Coal Drops Yard Shopping Development showing the Brick Arches of the Eastern Coal Drops

The Eastern Coal Drops were built in 1851. Goods wagons entered on a brick viaduct.

Trains entering and leaving via four tracks on the upper level of a long, covered structure beneath a wide-span wooden roof. The three storey building was divided into 48 cells. The coal was dropped from the bottom-opening wagons through a hole into the hopper level, carried on cast iron columns and beams. Here it was graded and then shovelled down chutes into sacks or carts at the lowest level. Although, as the name suggests, the drops were most often used for coal that needed to be graded, potatoes or any heavy loose load were delivered via the coal drops. Traversers at the southern end transferred empty wagons to flanking tracks for return.

The Western Coal Drops, built in 1860 were similar in structure to the Eastern Drops, with a roof span of 48 feet, but of a simplified, more advanced design.

Originally a basin, subsequently filled in, allowed for the coal’s onward transport on the Regent’s Canal. The rails came in on an open cast-iron viaduct that terminated under the roof. Beneath was the Coal and Stone Basin, allowing direct transhipment to canal boats. This was filled in when the adjacent Western Goods Shed was built in 1897–99. The Western coal drops then became a general-purpose warehouse.

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View Showing the Cast-Iron Supports of the Western Coal Drops and the New Roof across the Spanning Structure. Gasworks Flats adjacent to the Regents Canal can be seen in the background.

Samuel Plimsoll, of Plimsoll Line fame, devised a sliding tip, which significantly reduced damage to the coals as they dropped from the railway wagons. He took over the Great Northern Railway’s coal business and in 1866,opened his own coal drops, south of the canal in Cambridge Street.

The Coal offices, the Wharf Road Viaduct and Wharf Road Arches close the site to the south, where they follow the arc of the Regent's Canal. The arches were used as stabling for some of the Great Northern's horses. There were 867 horses in 1867, eventually rising to 1500 around the turn of the century.

Over the years, the coal drops were mostly adapted as warehouses and a goods shed.

The Eastern Coal Drops were acquired in 1876 by glass bottle manufacturer, Bagley, Wild Co. of Knottingley, Yorkshire. In the 1930s they were transporting thirty wagons of bottles a day to the yard.

The Southern Arches follow the Contour of the Regents Canal which will be accessed through the temporarily barriered arches on the far left of this photo.

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The Coal Offices, originally built to administer the company’s coal trade, form part of a curving block of buildings which follow the course of Regent’s Canal. Edward Wiggins, the Great Northern’s contractor for delivering coal, Coles Child and his successor Herbert Clarke occupied offices here. Over subsequent years the company was obliged to open the trade to independent coal merchants, who rented offices in these spaces.

In more recent times the buildings became disused and decayed. Some continued to be used for storage. Others became nightclubs of some fame including Bagley’s which closed in 2007. Ten bays at the northern end of the Eastern Coal Drops remained largely unaltered until a fire in 1985, which prompted the grade 2 listing of the building.

The redevelopment, by designer Thomas Heatherwick, has made several changes to the buildings, most obviously to the roofing. The western and eastern sides now meet above a new bridge spanning the yard which has been swept upwards to provide an extra floor accommodating a large shop. A second major change is to lower the upper floor levels so that they are level with the viaducts and the bridge link and thus considerably simplify access. The original blue granite setts in the yard have, apart from fragments, been replaced by precisely laid new setts, apparently at the insistence of Camden's disability access officer. The open arches have mostly been enclosed with plate glass shop fronts.

The justification in conservation terms for these changes is that the buildings were considerably run down and on Historic England's ‘Listed Buildings at Risk’ register.

Whilst I feel that greater effort could have been made to provide evidence of the original use of these buildings, the result is very pleasing and much better than demolition.

The new Walkway above the Southern Arches. The Regents Canal is below, at yard level, to the left of the picture.

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The summer is normally a quiet time with regards to waterways campaigning and this year is no exception. We have however had our share of boating excitement. Over the August bank holiday the IWA National Festival of Water took place at Waltham Abbey.

Although just outside our branch area, many of the boats attending transited the canals in our area hopefully debunking the myth that London is unwelcoming to visiting boats. In the week following the event many of the returning boats took the opportunity to do the Waterworks River loop of the Bow Back Rivers. Nineteen boats went through which the lock keepers said was as many as had used the two locks all year, a campaigning opportunity here!

The following weekend saw the Angel Canal Festival, a well-attended local event. The branch had a stand here and the Canal Museum had the first outing of their newly restored towpath tractor on their stand.

The Canal Museum’s Towpath Tractor

We are seeing less activity on the planning application front, many these days are amending existing schemes. The exception here is the start of plans being submitted for the enormous Meridian Waters development to the South of the North Circular Road on both sides of the River Lee where it is planned to build 10,000 homes over the next 20 years. We have studied the initial documents and will make comments on the mooring provision and facilities for boaters.

We are disappointed that BWML have appealed against the decision to refuse permission to construct new finger moorings on the Eastern wall of Limehouse.

Committee members continue to represent the association at meetings with the Port of London Authority, GLA and Canal and River Trust.

We recently made a ÂŁ1000 donation to the Wey & Arun Canal Trust for their work on the Birtley Section near Bramley where the London branch of the Waterway Recovery Group have recently carried out a number of weekend digs (see article p2).

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Aerial View of Carpenters Road Lock with boats returning from the Festival of Water at Waltham Abbey taking the opportunity to visit Bow Back Rivers.

Photo. Tim Lewis 12

Waterworks River

More photos from Tim Lewis of boats cruising back from the Festival of Water City Mill Lock

Swan Boats in the Olympic Park 13

South London branch covers a large area South of the River Thames and at our first social of the season on September 11th we are exploring some of the waterways in our catchment area in an interactive way. Our main waterway is the Tidal River Thames and the various creeks and rivers which flow into it such as the River Wandle. We also have some disused waterways such as the Grand Surrey Canal and the Croydon canal.

On Sunday October 6th Roger Wilkinson will be leading a walk ‘Grand Surrey canal, Royal Navy Victualling Yard and Greenland Dock (see page 5 for further details of this and other London Walks) Several of us have been busy with the branch stand over the summer, visiting the Festival of Water at Waltham Abbey on 24th – 26th August, Angel Canal Festival on Sunday 1st September and Slough Canal Festival on 7th – 8th September. We will be going to Hayes Canal Festival on Sunday 15th September. We have mainly been fundraising with the Waterways Game and selling Waterway books that have been donated to the branch. We will be bringing these to branch meetings in the autumn and, as last year, we will be ordering Christmas cards and calendars for branch members.

Slough Canal Festival South London Branch were situated next to Middlesex Branch so we took the opportunity to make a larger joint area for IWA. We had the Waterway game on South London stand and various second-hand books for sale. Middlesex branch were selling various waterway items, Christmas cards and calendars.

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This summer has been full of exciting boating for some of us. Panacea has travelled over 500 miles and gone through over 350 locks with various crew members. The highlight of this was to cross the Wash from Boston to Wisbech in June as one of 11 boats from St Pancras Cruising Club. In the Region Social talk on Tuesday 15th October Simon Judge and I will share some of our exploits. (See page 19 for details).

Panacea crossing The Wash

Following the Festival of Water Panacea was one of six St Pancras boats leading a ‘dispersal cruise’ on the tidal Thames. 6 locks full left Limehouse in the very early hours of Friday 30th August making up a convoy of 21 boats who had been to the festival, many of which had not been on tidal waters before. After a downstream trip through the Thames flood barrier and dodging the new Woolwich ferries we returned upstream, most boats coming in at Brentford with some continuing to Teddington.

Derek Humphries came on Panacea on the dispersal cruise and captured views of the London Riverscape as it is today. Derek is a member of South London Committee and IWA London Region Heritage Officer. He is keen to capture photographs of all structures and landmarks in our Region and, as one of the Fenland frolickers, photographed all the lock cottages down the Grand Union from Milton Keynes to London. Derek will be talking at our November Social in East Croydon about his role and the ways in which we can all contribute. Please see page 22 for details of this and other forthcoming socials.

We continue to liaise with the clean-up team at Thames 21 and there is to be some training in early October on how to lead a waterway clean-up to which we hope to send a representative. There are also monthly clean-ups on the River Wandle which we are looking into. If anyone is interested in taking part in these whether on the Thames or the Wandle please get in touch.

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I continue to liaise closely with the local Lifeboat Management Group at Chiswick and fundraise for the Lifeboat service generally. Work continues to be done to improve safety along the Thames and to educate those with riverside pubs and clubs to know how to use throw lines effectively. We will be supporting the Great River Race on Saturday 14th September and ‘Regatta London’ at Putney Foreshore on Sunday 29th September.

Hoping to see some of you at some of these activities and meetings! Libby The photos below show crews on a sandbank in The Wash awaiting the tide and, lower, Panacea and Thermopylae on the River Witham. It is hoped to have a fuller report of Libby’s mammoth trip in our next Meridian. (Ed).

Photo - Simon Judge

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Limehouse Dock the assembly of boats, shown below, before exiting the Thames lock would not be possible if the appeal against refusal of planning permission for pontoon moorings succeeds.

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of The Inland Waterways Association or of the London Region or its branches. They are, however, published as being of interest to our members and readers. The IWA accepts no liability for any matter within this publication.

Editor: Chris Bushill, 52, Brycedale Crescent, Southgate, London, N14 7EU. E-mail chris.bushill@waterways.org.uk Published by the IWA, North & East and South London Branches at: Island House, Moor Road,

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I am very pleased to once again be writing for your Branch magazine. I hope you find my ramblings about the goings on in the London Region and the wider association interesting. Next year I will have been a trustee of the Association for over twelve years and will have to step down from the board. I believe London should have strong representation on the trustee’s board and would ask you to consider voting for Dave Chapman at this year’s Trustees election. He has been a member of IWA for 46 years, the supplies Director for the IWA National Festivals, and chairman of Chiltern Branch since 2013. Full details, of all the candidates and how to vote, are in the summer edition of Waterways.

As you may be aware, in order for the country to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of VE Day, the Government has moved the early May Day Bank Holiday 2020 from Monday 4th May to Friday 8th May 2020. This move has a significant impact on Cavalcade, as it was due to be held on the weekend of the bank holiday of the 4th May. The cavalcade committee, with the agreement of trustees, has decided to hold a two day event next year on, Saturday and Sunday, the 2nd and 3rd of May. Please make a note of this change in your diary, if you would like to help run the event or just visit.

This year London Region has lost two branch chairmen, Craig Haslam from the Lee & Stort Branch and Michael Phillips from Middlesex Branch. Under Michael’s leadership the Middlesex branch has done a lot of work with local authorities on planning applications in Brentford and the Park Royal area. Under Craig the Lee & Stort Branch has achieved much, perhaps most notably the restoration to public use of Ware Town Wharf after it had been taken over by squatters. Both branches have new Chairman, Roger Still has taken on the leadership of Middlesex Branch and Mike Newman the Lee and Stort Branch, At this year’s Festival of Water we met up with the people running the Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills. They have a problem, they would like to restore the remaining high and low level canal systems used to carrying gunpowder and raw ingredients around the site. The system, which originally extended for nearly 10 miles, includes several locks, specially designed to minimise turbulence which could cause a laden boat to bang against the side and create an explosion, as well as three aqueducts.

The Lea and Stort Branch and WRG are looking at the possibility of running working parties to initially prevent any further deterioration of this unique waterway system and then, if funds can be found, restoring as much as possible so that visitors can see the specially designed craft operating around the site. We understand that the original puddling clay has been removed, as it was contaminated with gunpowder, so we shouldn’t need any special precautions to prevent explosions!

Paul Strudwick London Region Chair Person, Deputy National Chairman 18

Our social meetings are on the third Tuesday evening of each month except in July and August.

Please note: our September meeting this year will be on the third Monday, 16th September, at the earlier time of 6pm as we are planning a get together with London Boaters. This will be at the Pirate Castle, Oval Road, NW1 7EA. Arrivals can be any time after 5.30 and the meeting will be from 6-8pm. We will be joined by our Region Vice-President, John Edmonds.

Dates for the next few months: Tuesday 15th October: ‘Boston to Denver by Narrowboat’ or, should we say, ‘What came out in the Wash?’ by Simon Judge and Libby Bradshaw. The ‘Fenland Frolickers’ as we called ourselves were a group of boaters, organised by St Pancras Cruising Club, who spent much of the summer exploring the waterways on the way to and as part of the fens. 11 narrowboats crossed the Wash on Saturday 22nd June and several others met up on and around the River Nene with a celebratory weekend in Ely in late July.

Tuesday 19th November: Further exploits of London WRG with Tim Lewis – hear about the canal restoration projects they have been involved in, canal camps and social weekends throughout the past year.

Tuesday 17th December: Christmas social with Mulled Wine and Mince pies, a quiz and auction of anything you like (or don’t like) to raise money for waterway projects Tuesday 21st January 2020: Developments and plans on our Waterways – an interactive evening with the IWA London region team Details of each talk will be sent out in advance by email and also can be found following the link https://www.waterways.org.uk/branches_regions/london/london_region The address of our current venue is 2 Kingdom Street, Paddington Central W2 6BD. The map on page 23 shows the route from Paddington Station to the management office steps by the lift. Follow the path round between the lift and the top of the Amphitheatre to Kingdom Street. This link may also help https://goo.gl/maps/VjKJvzXfy6B2. The venue is usually the Atrium on the ground floor – ask at the security desk for directions if you are new.

Refreshments are available from 7pm and the talks start at 7.30pm. All are welcome whether IWA members or not. We have people attending from across most of the London Region Branches I Iook forward to seeing many of you in the coming months Libby Further details from Libby Bradshaw libby.bradshaw@ursa.me.uk 07956 655037 19

Rolling Bridge The Spacehive crowdfunding appeal for the Rolling Bridge has come to an end without reaching its target.

Cody Dock say, ‘356 backers pledged £85,105.00 towards the construction off Thomas Randall-Page’s ingenious Rolling Bridge.

This is a really big achievement and whilst we did not reach our whole funding target during the crowd funding phase, we want to assure you that sufficient support was raised for us to continue fundraising and we a confident that the project will go ahead.’

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Role

North & East London

Chairman

Tim Lewis Tel: 02085300425 / 07802518094 tim.lewis@waterways.org.uk

Secretary

Roger Squires Tel: 02072320987 roger.squires@waterways.org.uk

Minutes Secretary Treasurer Social Secretary

Newsletter Editor Membership Secretary Publicity Officer

South London Libby Bradshaw Tel: 02088742787 / 07956 655037 libby.bradshaw@waterways.org.uk AllanScott TeTel: 02086428104 / 07985728844 allan.scott@waterways.org.uk

Vacancy Ian Israel Tel: 020 84461823 ian.israel@waterways.org.uk Vacancy

Vacancy Dorothy Robbie Tel: 02088576367 dorothy.robbie@waterways.org.uk Shea Richardson, Tel: 02086770196 / 07803904803 shea.richardson@homecall.co.uk

Chris Bushill Tel: 02082457063; chris.bushill@waterways.org.uk Liz Rayner liz.rayner@waterways.org.uk Vacancy

Dorothy Robbie Tel: 02088576367 dorothy.robbie@waterways.org.uk Lesley Pryde-Coales Tel: 07787 372408 lesley.pryde@waterways.org.uk

London Region Heritage Officer

Derek Humphries derek.humphries@waterways.org.uk

Events Officer

Vacancy

Vacancy

Rod Gray rodgray125@aol.com

Vacancy

Vacancy

Vacancy

Roger Wilkinson – London Walks Rep. Tel: 02036129624 roger.wilkinson@waterways.org.uk

Simon Dyer Tel: 020 8769 2981/ 07857 978111 simondyer@outlook.com

Planning Officer Work Party Officer

Committee Members

Ex-Officio as Region Chairman South London Representatives

Paul Strudwick Tel: 01245358342 / 07885240291 paul.strudwick@waterways.org.uk

Planning & Navigation Committee: Eric Garland Wandle Valley developments: Shea Richardson Deptford Creek developments: Eric Garland

If you feel you could help with any of the vacancies above we would love to hear from you 21

Unless otherwise indicated, the following South London Branch Social meetings take place at 7.45 for 8.00 p.m. In The Primary Room, The United Reformed Church Hall, Addiscombe Grove, Croydon CR0 5LP. (See inside back cover, p23, for map) Wednesday 9th Oct:

A presentation on `The Suez Canal’ by Dr Roger Squires

Sunday 13th Oct:

Branch visit to see the `Secret Rivers’ exhibition (Free) at The Museum of London Docklands at 1300. Contact Lesley on 07787 372408 for more info.

Thursday 17th Oct:

Joint social meeting with Kent & East Sussex IWA at 7.30 for 8.00pm at Strood Yacht Club ME2 2AH for a presentation on ‘Thames Tidal Defences’ by Nathan Ellis. More information at https://www.waterways.org.uk/kent/kent_east_sussex

Wednesday 13th Nov: A presentation on `Exploring our Waterways heritage in London Region’ by Derek Humphries, IWA London Region Heritage Officer Wednesday 11th Dec: Christmas Social meeting at Croydon. Members & friends are invited to bring slides of this year’s boating experiences.

Wed 8th Jan 2020:

An evening of stand up Regency comedy and much more!

Entitled “Stand up in the Canal” by Lester Hillman

All are welcome at our meetings, IWA members or non-members.

There is no admission charge for talks, film shows or presentations but we do ask that you donate a minimum of £2 per person to offset room hire charges and speakers’ expenses, thank you.

There is good parking adjacent to the hall and excellent transport links via East Croydon train and tram stations.

For more information please contact the Social Secretary: Shea Richardson Tel: 07803 904803 or e-mail: shea.richardson@waterways.org.uk For updates and information on our social meetings Please check https://www.waterways.org.uk/southlondon/south_london 22

IWA South London Branch, United Reformed Church, Croydon

IWA Meet Here

IWA Former Venue

Paddington Hammersmith & City Line exit

IWA Region and North & East London Branch, 2 Kingdom St, Paddington 23

The Inland Waterways Association is a non-profit distributing company limited by guarantee. Registered in England no. 612245.

Registered as a charity no. 212342 Registered Office: Island House, Moor Road, Chesham HP5 1WA Tel: 01494 783 453 Web: www.waterways.org.uk The Inland Waterways Association is a membership charity that works to protect and restore the country' s 6,500 miles of canals and rivers.

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